You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy an assortment of treats on Halloween. In fact, you can have the best of both worlds: wine & candy! Here at RNDC, we are firm believers that wine can take any occasion to the next level, especially on Halloween. We also believe that you can pair wine with anything—yes even candy. So don’t be afraid to snag some wine on eRNDC and your favorite goodies this October!
Use this guide to help you throw a wine and candy pairing event at your bar. Or to suggest pairings to your in-store customers. You might even enjoy yourself once you’ve closed up shop and need to un-wine-d.
Here is a list of candies that pair well with different wine varietals.
Sour Candy & Sparkling Wine
Normally you wouldn’t pair a sparkling wine with sour candy, but as you chew sour candies, they tend to get sweeter towards the end. Making sparkling wine perfect in that the effervescence of the wine will cut through the sweetness lingering on your palette.
Red Licorice & Sauvignon Blanc
Red licorice is one of the most polarizing candies out there. Some love it, some hate it. We can bet the people who don’t like red licorice have never tried it with a nice glass of sauvignon blanc. Try it out this Halloween—you won’t be disappointed!
Candy Corn & Chardonnay
You can’t Halloween without candy corn, and you certainly can’t Halloween properly without wine. Specifically, chardonnay. The oaky notes of chardonnay balance out the intense sweetness of candy corn exceptionally well.
Taffy & Rosé
Taffy is often very sweet, with ample red fruit flavors. Sweet rosé paired with a taffy candy will bring out the best in each other. It’s a match made in heaven!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups & Red Blend
Sweet and salty is such a great combination. Even better—chocolate peanut butter cups and a red blend! This candy and this wine have such complementary flavors it makes us wonder why we waited until spooky season to try it.
Caramel & Pinot Noir
A candy as rich as caramel needs a wine as rich to go along with it, such as a pinot noir. It’s a shockingly tasty pair and a perfect instance where we see two unlikely treats bringing out the best in each other. We can’t wait for you to try it!
Bite-sized Chocolate & Merlot
Bite-sized chocolate is kind of like wine: both are meant to be consumed bit by bit or sip by sip. Merlot has velvety tannins that complement every aspect of this bite-sized treat, from the hard candy shell to the delectable chocolate inside.
Dark Chocolate & Cabernet Sauvignon
What do you do with a candy as bold as dark chocolate? You pair it with a wine that can mellow it out while also complementing it at the same time. The next time you’re about to snack on some dark chocolate, wash it down with a nice glass of cabernet sauvignon.
And there you have it, proof that you don’t have to be a kid to get the best out of Halloween. Enjoy our list of candies with complementing wines that’ll turn your Halloween into an adult-friendly one. Feeling inspired to host your own Halloween pairing event? Log in to your eRNDC account and start ordering wine today for your store.
Cheers & Happy Halloween!